


Sometimes You Swim

by NightshadeDawn



Series: That happened... [18]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imaginary Friends, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 09:17:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12528048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: Suga has a bit of a different relationship with Shika than the others...





	Sometimes You Swim

**Author's Note:**

> Pinterest prompt based off of: “For you, I would steal the stars- but I can also get them by more legitimate means if that impresses you more.”

        Suga was a bit older when he first met Shika. 

        He was eight years old, and often teased about his small, almost girlish stature. He hated it, truly.

        Shika was everything Suga wasn’t: he was bigger, he had a deep voice for a child his age. The kind of person who could protect Suga from bullies.

        That’s not to say, of course, Suga  _ needed  _ protecting. No, of course not. 

        Just because he was a bit smaller didn’t mean he wasn’t  _ strong _ . 

        And he was. He was very,  _ very  _ strong. That doesn’t mean he didn’t want Shika around. He rather liked hiding behind the tough guy persona.

        Shika didn’t mind, much. Except when Suga would randomly punch his arm and demand answers to any of his question.

        “Hey, ow!” Shika exclaimed, rubbing his arm after Suga punched him. Suga had a popsicle in his other hand and as gazing at Shika with wide eyes.

        “What  _ are  _ you?” he questioned without apologizing for the punch.

        “I’m your friend,” Shika stated, kicking his feet back and forth from his and Suga’s position on top of the monkey bars.

        Suga rolled his eyes. “Obviously,” he claimed. “But no one else can see you! So what are you?”

        “I’m your friend,” Shika repeated. “I’m just… imaginary. One of these days, I’m not gonna be here anymore.”

        Suga scrunched his eyebrows together, looking away from Shika as he sucked on his popsicle. Ever since the other boy had entered his life, he couldn’t imagine a time without him. 

        And small children don’t like to think of the time without friends, anyway.

        “No you’re not,” Suga said decidedly. “You’re gonna stay right here with me, forever and ever.”

        Shika didn’t have the heart to contradict him. 

        So to please the boy, Shika stood at his side as often as he could. He watched over the boy, watching him grow and mature. Kind of.

        Suga frowned and grumbled as he stared at the volleyball in front of him. Shika was standing only a few feet off, watching Suga.

        “I can’t believe this!” he exclaimed. “Ugggggh! I’ll never become good enough at this rate!”

        Shika patted his shoulder with a smile. “You’re a great setter,” he claimed. “At least, I think so.”

        “You’re just an imaginary friend, you don’t count.”

        Shika chuckled, pulling Suga to his feet. “Well, giving up isn’t an option, either,” he stated, tossing the ball over to Suga. “If you’re determined to get better, you need to practice.”

        Suga hesitated before nodding, holding his hands out for the ball to be tossed to him. Shika obliged. 

        The practiced until it was turning dark, the Shika told Suga it was time to go home. Suga pouted. Shika just rolled his eyes.

        “Can’t have my charge being put in danger now, can I?” he said. 

        It was Suga’s turn to roll his eyes but allowed Shika to take his hand and lead him down the road. 

        They walked on for a few minutes, Suga rubbing his sore shoulder, when Shika suddenly stopped. 

        “What is it?” Suga asked, following Shika’s gaze down a path going through the forest.

        “It’s… nothing,” Shika said, turning forward and going to take a step. “We should get you home.”

        “Obviously it’s something,” Suga said, pulling Shika down the path, causing the latter to yelp. 

        “Koushi!” Shika exclaimed. Suga grinned. 

        “We’ll only be a few minutes,” he claimed, tugging on Shika’s hand to get him moving. 

        After a few minutes, Shika took the lead and they found themselves in a fairly open area. It was a playground, with a tall tree standing on top of a hill. 

        Almost as if in a daze, Shika let go of Suga’s hand and walked into the middle of the playground. He spun in a circle, his eyes growing ever wider as he made his way up to the tree.

        There was a heart there, with the initials of two people in an intelligible language. Forever everyone but Shika, that is. 

        With a fond smile, he reached out and touched the heart. 

        “What is this?” Shika asked, looking over Shika’s shoulder. 

        “This… is from almost a thousand lifetimes ago…” Shika whispered. “My love and I… this is the only time we ever met… with faces of our own…”

        Suga gave him a soft smile, touching his shoulder. “Do you want to stay for a few minutes?”

        Shika looked over at him. “You don’t mind…?”

        Suga shook his head. “Not at all.”

        The ended up lying in the grass under the tree, watching the stars. 

        A shooting star passed Shika looked over at Suga. 

        “It feels a little weird,” Suga admitted, “knowing that yours face is that of someone who will be important to me, but says you have a lover.”

        Shika snickered. “One of whom wears your face right now,” he stated. He turned back to look up at the sky. “I would steal the stars for you, you know. But I can also get them by more legitimate means, if that impresses you more.”

        Suga let out a snort. “Oh please. No need to impress me. I’m more impressed you’re actually about to get someone to fall for you. Besides. I’m sure you can do a lot, but I doubt you can do that.”

        Shika sent Suga a smirk, disappearing and reappearing on one of the up-most branches of the tree. He reached out a hand and light seemed to stream into his palm. He appeared by Suga again, both hands clasped together. 

        He pulled the one off, revealing a brightly shining orb.

        Suga gasped as Shika handed it over. “You… really… can…” he whispered in awe.

        “For you,” Shika said. “The only ones who’ll be able to see it as it is are those who we’ve visited. Everyone else will only see it as a piece of copper.”

        Suga nodded, holding it close. 

        It was only shortly later Suga found out his family was moving, forcing him to move schools in the middle of the year. 

        Shika disappeared the day of the move. 

        No matter how much Suga called for him or how long he waited, Shika never came. 

        While unpacking his things in his new room, Shika pulled out the star and found a letter under it, signed “From Shika”.

        Suga pulled it out and read its contents. 

_         Dear Koushi, _

_         I know you often refused to believe this day would come. The day I wouldn’t answer your call anymore. But it’s time for me to go, though I never meant to hurt you. You’ll meet your own love someday, very soon. I have done my job, but now it is up to you where you decide to go. It is time to spread your wings and fly, right into the arms of someone who will never leave you. Let the stars continue to shine your way, and walk tall as you always have. _

_         From your friend, Shika. _

        Suga didn’t realize he was crying until he watched as tears splattered across the carefully written words. He held the note close to his chest, a hand muffling his sobs. 

        “Thank you, Shika,” he cried. “For everything.”

        Three days later, Suga was headed to his new school. 

        He stood in front of the class, a bright smile on his face. He felt lighter than he had all week, and knew it had something to do with Shika’s words.

        “I’m Sugawara Koushi,” he said, bowing. “But you can call me Suga.”

        After being pointed to his seat by the teacher, Suga turned to look at his neighbor and his heart skipped a beat. He leaned forward, a mischievous smile on his face. 

        “I feel like I’ve seen you before,” Suga teased good naturedly.

        The boy, Daichi, grinned. “Then should I say: it’s good to see you again?” he asked. 

        Suga felt his grin widening, the remaining weight lifting from him. “That sounds perfect.”

* * *

 

Epilogue

        Daichi and Suga would be departing for the university soon, and they needed to do was finish packing up at Suga’s. 

        Suga worked on folding his clothes while Daichi was taking down nicknacks from Sga’s shelves. 

        “You know, I’ve always wonder  _ what  _ this thing is,” Daichi said, picking up the star and examining it.

        Suga raised an eyebrow as he turned, his eyes narrowing on the object. “Oh? Oh, it’s nothing. Just an old trinket.”

        Daichi’s eyebrows knit, eyes narrowing at the star. “This isn’t just any old trinket,” he stated. “I mean, I’ve never seen anything with this kind of glow before.”

        Suga’s eyes widened and he walked over to Daichi. He let out a grin, resting his chin on Daichi’s shoulder. “You’re right,” he stated. “This… is a gift from a very old friend of mine.”

        “Mind telling me?” Daichi asked.

        Suga grinned. “Only if you tell me,” he retorted, making Daichi’s eyes widen before they both laughed, settling down on Suga’s stripped bed and beginning the explanation of a lifetime.


End file.
